Ronnie James Dio Tribute Concert Announced!

Today I’m proud to bring to you the details of the Ronnie James Dio tribute concert that have just been announced. Heaven & Hell have issued a press release (shown below) of the one off tribute show they’re doing for Ronnie. It will be held on Saturday July 24, 2010 at the High Voltage Festival in London.
This actually was a gig that Heaven & Hell had planned to play with Ronnie, but it was canceled with the rest of the dates a few weeks before Ronnie died. It apparently has been revived, and there’s some details available now as to what’s going on for this gig. This will be billed as “Heaven & Hell”, and the lineup will be:

• Tony Iommi – Guitar
• Geezer Butler – Bass
• Vinny Appice – Drums
• Glenn Hughes – Vocals
• Jorn Lande – Vocals

First, while the press release doesn’t mention it, I’d assume that Scott Warren will play keyboards. When I first read the press release, I wondered with a lot of fans who the heck “Jorn Lande” is. From the PR, “Norwegian Jorn Lande is best known in the UK as the vocalist for power metal band Masterplan, he has also released many solo albums including a tribute to Ronnie.” I had never heard of him before, so I looked him up. Holy crap is this guy good. I saw him do some covers of old Dio era Sabbath tracks, as well as Dio tracks, and he nailed it. What’s amazing is he can mimic other singers too. Heard him do Ian Gillan on Deep Purple’s “Perfect Strangers” – holy crap, he nailed it. I’ve included a few Youtube videos here with Jorn to check him out. I really dug what I heard from this guy today, made an immediate impact on me. You might also want to check out this link about Jorn, too. :)
If Black Sabbath/Heaven & Hell ever wants to give it a go with another singer, I vote for Jorn Lande. Wow.

Anyway, I have no information at the moment regarding tickets, whether there will be more sold, or it’s just people who already had festival tickets or whatnot. Hopefully more info on that comes out soon, at which point I’ll announce it too.
I’d love to be able to fly over there for that, but no way I can afford to. If you’re going to be at the concert, you blimy bastard. :)
I’m also trying to find out if they’re recording this. If it’s a charity thing, I would think DVD & CD sales would be a way to benefit that too. But as of right now, I don’t know for sure.
Here is the full press release as sent to me by Heaven & Hell. Enjoy!
If you’re like to discuss this on our forums, you can do so here.

On the 16th May 2010 Ronnie James Dio passed away and the world of music mourned the loss of the greatest voice of heavy metal.
Dio was a truly iconic figure in music, whose work with Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio and most recently Heaven & Hell defined a genre.
Heaven & Hell were set to be on the road in Europe this summer when news came through that despite the amazing progress he was making Ronnie wouldn’t be well enough to tour and those shows were canceled. But now, remaining members Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice are set to play a one off show to celebrate his life and work. The band will be completed by Glenn Hughes and Jorn Lande who will both contribute vocals. Former Deep Purple / Black Sabbath star Glenn Hughes was a close friend of Ronnie’s for many years and performed a musical tribute at Ronnie’s funeral service in Los Angeles. Norwegian Jorn Lande is best known in the UK as the vocalist for power metal band Masterplan, he has also released many solo albums including a tribute to Ronnie. It promises to be a fitting celebration to a man that the metal scene owes so much.
“It’s going to be a very emotional occasion. Ronnie loved his fans like no-one else I know – and they loved him. It will be a privilege doing a gig in honour of his memory, and to help towards his charity. Above all, I hope it encourages people to have regular check-ups for this disease. Early detection is vital, and greatly improves the chance of a cure. I know everyone has heard that a million times before, but seeing one of your best friends die because we all think we’re immune from this disease, really brings it home. Do it for yourself, your family, your friends. Ronnie would be proud of you.” Love & Peace, Geezer Butler
Tony Iommi says “Ronnie’s passing has left a huge hole, we hadn’t anywhere near finished what we set out to do as a band together. He was so looking forward to the European tour and we hope this appearance will go some way to fulfilling that.”
The Ronnie James Dio “Stand Up And Shout” Cancer Fund Program Description
*The fund is committed to the early detection and prevention of cancer through facilitating access to medical screening and medical educational programs.
*The fund supports programs designed to integrate medical knowledge into local communities such as cancer screening programs, education on nutrition in cancer prevention, exercise and overall wellness.”
*The goal of the fund is to reduce the risk of developing life threatening cancers by offering access to preventative medical services.”
*Furthering the commitment for patients to access to quality medical care related to cancer, the fund seeks to assist families burdened by the cost of caring for loved ones with cancer.”
For further information on the Fund and to make a donation please visit www.ronniejamesdio.com
Tickets for High Voltage festival are priced £135 (for weekend tickets) and £75 (for day tickets). There is no booking fee for Classic Rock Presents High Voltage tickets. Other VIP packages available alongside standard tickets from www.highvoltagefestival.com or 24hr cc ticketline 0871 230 5582.
Please check the websites below for further updates
www.highvoltagefestival.com
www.classicrockmagazine.com